The Clashing of Rivals
by ShadowGirl996
Summary: What will happen when Hiccup is torn between two of his most important friends? The one he loves, and the one taught him one of the most valuable lessons he'd ever learned. Who will he choose?
1. Her

**The Clashing of Rivals**

Spring was a joyous time of the year. A time for new beginnings, for beauty. Everyone was glad to see the sun high in the sky again, a nice change after a long, gruesome winter. The warm sunshine shone down from a clear blue sky, fluffy clouds taking on the shapes of various animals and objects.

Astrid loved spring, something about the fresh air and freedom after being stuck inside for three months was calming to her. Perhaps it was the scent of wildflowers that hung in the air, or the fresh dew on the grass.

Children played in the plaza, dueling with wooden swords and affectionately petting the dragons that strolled by while their mothers shook and hung furs on the fences, a protective and careful eye watching the younger Vikings.

All was pleasant, even the once dreaded lectures given at the Academy were suddenly interesting and inspiring.

Everyone was happy.

Well, almost everyone.

* * *

><p>Astrid stood at the crest of a hill, looking down at the docks below her. 'I can't believe he's returning today. <em>Six weeks has passed so quickly. <em>_I feel like he just left with Johann and Fishlegs yesterday, _she thought, smiling when she spotted the familiar wooden ship, watching as it slowly pulled into the harbor.

Hiccup and Fishlegs had left with Johann to explore and learn more about the various places the trader traveled to and the things he'd seen. They had been thrilled when he asked them if they would join him on his voyage, eager to expand their knowledge of the known world.

She raced down the wooden steps to the docks, narrowly dodging past several villagers to get to the wooden ship. She had never been so excited and anxious before, it was as if it had been six years, not six weeks. _Six weeks too long_, she thought as she skidded to a stop just feet from the now-docked ship. She watched as Johann and Fishlegs stepped off the boat, cheerily greeting several Vikings. She looked behind them, watching for familiar russet locks.

No one else appeared above-deck on the ship, causing a frown to pull at the corners of her lips.

_Where is he? He promised to meet me at the docks when he returned,_ she thought, hardly noticing when the twins and Snotlout came over to her. They all waited, watching for their friend to make his grand entrance. "Is he even going to show up? He promised to be..." She trailed off, her jaw dropping slightly and her eyes taking on a hard look. _No. Way. He didn't...he did. _She huffed, looking over at her friends. "Hey, it's the pretty one!" Tuffnut pointed out, his sister nodding and following his gaze. Snotlout smirked, a ridiculous and overrated thing. "See? I told you she'd come back for...what the heck is he doing?!" Snotlout cried, getting ready to charge forwards. But Astrid beat him to it, striding calmly towards her boyfriend and his guest. "Oh, Astrid! I was looking for you!" Hiccup called, a smile lighting up his face. Astrid scoffed. _When? After you finished drooling all over her? Just like last time? Was her tongue trying to show you the way?_, she thought, an incredibly fake and overjoyed look taking over her features. "Hey." She greeted, smiling at him. _I am so going to kill you later, Hiccup, _she thought, struggling to keep a sane expression and hold back from getting her axe and claiming what was hers properly.

He smiled back. "Oh! You remember Astrid, right?" He asked, touching the girl's shoulder. Astrid grit her teeth, offering a sickly sweet smile. "Of course I do, it's wonderful to see you again." Astrid nodded. "Yeah, great to see you too, Heather."

Uh-oh, there's trouble in paradise! What's Astrid going to do about this? Will Heather try to steal her place as Hiccup's special lady? You'll just have to keep reading to find out. I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Until next time,

Shadowgirl996


	2. Liar, Liar

Heather nodded, her dark hair flowing gently in the soft breeze. "You don't know how much I've missed all of you. You are such great friends." Heather replied. 'You just miss having someone to stab in the back, you coldhearted-' "So, Astrid, I was told that you are a champion when it comes to the infamous dragon races?" Astrid rose an eyebrow, slightly surprised. _So, he actually did tell her about me. I'm surprised, last time all he cared about was how pretty she is,_ Astrid thought, scoffing. Heather furrowed her perfect, dark and shapely eyebrows. "Is there something wrong?" There it was; the fake 'don't worry, I won't stab you in the back and twist the knife' look. The falsely innocent 'I just want to make friends' look.

The look of a coldhearted, boyfriend-stealing bit-

"Astrid?" She shook her head. "No. I mean, yeah. I guess you could say that." Heather nodded, clearly not listening to her.

"And Hiccup, I understand that Berk has gone through several changes since the last time I was here. Could you possibly find the time to give me a tour around the island?" Hiccup immediately perked up, a bright smile lighting his face. "Of course. How about right now? You don't mind, do you, Astrid?" She growled lowly. _'Great, either I let her go and kiss up to him, or I look like the jealous girlfriend._ She sighed. "No, I'll just head back. I should probably feed Stormfly, anyhow. Have fun." Hiccup nodded, taking Heather's hand and leading her to Toothless. She gave him a confused look. "A little help?" He nodded, wrapping his hands around her waist and hoisting her into the saddle. She squealed, hugging him tightly when he sat down in front of her.

Astrid watched them go, a heartbroken look on her face as she turned back towards the bustling plaza.

* * *

><p>They soared through the sky at amazing speeds, the fluffy clouds disappearing in their wake. She cheered as Toothless dove down close to the water, getting as close as he could to the waves without crashing before gliding back up above the island. "So, right there is the dragon stables, which is where we house the dragons. And next to it is the forge, where we craft and repair weapons. Then we have the Great Hall, the Academy, the-" "Where is the arena?" Hiccup shifted the pedal that operated Toothless's tail fin. They sharply turned and swerved around the arena, narrowly missing the large building. "This is the arena, which is where the infamous dragon races take place. Every week we gather the riders to compete for the best score. It's a lot of fun, you'd like it." She smiled as she rested her head on the metal shoulder pad of his flight suit. "So...where's your house again?" She asked, her hands sliding up from his waist to his chest. Hiccup didn't notice this and pointed out the house, which stood next to the Great Hall. She only nodded, her hands slowly continuing on their journey. She stopped when her hands were touching his chest, causing him to jump when he felt her push the button that operated the back fin. It sprang open, barely missing her face. "W-Wha, u-um...what are you doing?" He choked out, his cheeks turning a light pink upon his embarrassment. She only smiled deviously into his back, giggling as he frantically wound the fin back up. "I'm not doing anything. You know, the sunset is really beautiful from here," he nodded, squeaking when her hands began to venture back downwards. "U-um, I don't think Astrid w-would be happy if she found out about that. It's kind of her thing." Heather rolled her eyes, knowing he meant to be funny, but failing miserably. 'Who cares about what she thinks?'<p>

She moved her hands, settling them back on his hips. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know." He only nodded, his face still red. "I-It's fine. It was only an accident. We should probably head back anyway, it's getting dark."

* * *

><p>Astrid looked up at the night sky, a worried and furious expression on her face. <em>Where is he?! He said it would only take a hour! Berk isn't THAT big of an island!,<em> she thought as her eyes narrowed when the front door creaked open. In walked just the two that she had been thinking of. Hiccup sensed the awkwardness in the room and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well...Heather, you can take the second bedroom. Astrid can take our bed, and I'll sleep down here." Astrid glared at him. "What? Why do I have to-" "She's our guest, Astrid." Astrid only huffed in reply, turning away from him.

Once their sleeping arrangements were in order, all three began to prepare for bed, all but one anyway.

Astrid waited until Hiccup and their 'guest' were sleeping until she made her move. Slowly, she descended the wooden stairs, carefully avoiding the spots that creaked. Once she stood on the platform at the bottom, her eyes began to wander around the room. Hiccup laid on the bench next to the firepit, the light casting an orange glow against his skin. Part of her wanted to move his bangs out of his eyes, but another part told her to just stick to business and get it over with. She crossed the room swiftly, her footsteps only a whisper against wooden floorboards, her eyes glued to the wooden box in the corner that contained all of Toothless's gear.

She rested a hand on it's lid, lifting gently and freezing when she heard something.

Swiftly, she turned, watching from the shadows as Heather stood by Hiccup's sleeping form, quietly sitting down next to him and lying down, pulling his arm around her waist. Astrid's cleared her throat, startling Heather and causing her to jump up. "O-Oh, Astrid, you're awake." The brunette stuttered, moving away as Hiccup sat up, rubbing the back of his neck. "What are you guys doing up so late? We have training tomorrow, Astrid. Remember?" Astrid gave him a sour look. He looked over at Heather, who was rubbing her arm's nervously, before glancing back at Astrid. "Well, she's the one who thought it would be a good idea to sleep with someone else's boyfriend!" Astrid cried, pointing at Heather. Hiccup frowned at her. "Astrid-" "No, just listen to me! She was getting all cuddly with you when I saw her! I SAW her!" Astrid glared at Heather, who responded with an innocent and guilty look. "Hiccup, I'm so sorry. I'm just not used to the cold temperatures. It's so warm on my island, I'm so sorry. I was cold and couldn't find any blankets, so I just thought that we could share body heat. I didn't mean to cause such a problem." Astrid gaped at her, shocked. "What?! That's not true at all-" "It's okay, Heather. I understand. Just...say something next time. There are blankets upstairs, Astrid can show you where, I don't quite remember." Heather smiled sweetly, tossing Astrid a quick victorious smirk. "Thank you, Hiccup." He nodded, yawning. "Alright, well, I'm exhausted. You guys might be able to stay up all night, but I can't." Astrid growled lowly, pouring water over the fire before trudging up the stairs, Heather following her closely. They found a closet in the hall, from which Astrid pulled a bundle of furs. She turned to look at Heather, a frown still pulling at her lips. "You're not going to get away with this. I'm not stupid, I know that you're just putting on an act for everyone." Heather frowned at her, taking the bundle of blankets. "Astrid, I don't know what you're talking about. I know I made mistakes last time I was here-" "Yeah, no kidding. You almost killed all of us!" "-But I've grown up. I'm not 16 anymore. I'm an adult, and I prefer to act like one. If you don't, then that's your choice, but don't drag me down with you when you crash and burn." Heather turned and walked back to her room, blankets in hand.

Astrid could only stare after her.

_That coldhearted troll! I can't believe her!, _she thought, huffing and walking back to her own room. _But she won't get away with this, not as long as I'm around to stop it._

* * *

><p>Astrid's got a plan, but how is she going to put it into action? Who will Hiccup believe the honorable Astrid, or the pretty one?<p>

Shadowgirl996


	3. Telling Secrets

The next morning was brought warm sunshine and a pleasant breeze carried from the sea. The Terrors sang on the rooftops as they strolled through town, a certain black dragon on their heels. His cat-like green eyes darted about, watching every movement of the foreign visitor. His rider and his mate had called her "Heather". He presumed that this was what she was called; her name. Toothless observed as she interlocked elbows with his rider, causing his mate to glare at "Heather". This all made him confused, he didn't understand the aspect of human mates. When humans mated, they mated for life. Dragons only stayed with their mates until their young were old enough to leave the nest. And for some reason, most humans only had one mate. They became jealous if their mate took a second mate, for whatever reason.

"Hiccup, you're the chief of Berk now?" Heather asked, her eyebrows knitting delicately. Hiccup frowned, a pained look flashing in his eyes too quickly for her to take notice. "Yes, my father was...he passed on after the battle with Drago and his dragon army." Heather nodded solemnly. "I'm very sorry for your loss, he was a wonderful chief, and a great man." Hiccup nodded, not taking notice as her grip on his arm tightened, pulling him away from Astrid, who stood on his other side. "So, what is Berk's shopping district like?" Hiccup managed a small smile. "Incredibly busy, yet full of inspiration. You'd love it. There are so many different art pieces and types of jewelry available for purchase. It's a favorite among many of our visitors." Heather nodded, her dark braid swinging. "It sounds amazing."

"It is, it really is."

* * *

><p>Astrid stood back, silently observing them from the shadow of one of the old dragon cages in the arena. <em>What are they doing? <em>she wondered as they flipped through one of Hiccup's many notebooks. They were speaking quietly, as if they wanted no one to hear some grand secret they could be telling. She strode over to them, her shadow cascading over the open journal and causing them both to look up. Hiccup slammed the notebook shut, hugging it to his chest. "Hey, Astrid. Can I help you with something?"

"I saw your mother this morning, she wants to speak with you later." Hiccup nodded, glancing back to Heather. "Oh, alright. Tell her that I will, but I'm kind of busy at the moment..." Astrid looked between him and Heather. "What are you doing?" Heather's eyes locked onto hers, a look of amusement flashing in them. "Hiccup said he would guide me around the island. Like a tour." Astrid raised an eyebrow. "I thought he already did." Heather smiled. "Oh, yes, he did. But we were in the air, I still want to see Berk from ground level." Astrid sighed, looking over at the other riders. "So, when is this 'tour' going to take place?" She inquired, her arms crossed across her chest defiantly. "Whenever Heather's ready." Hiccup blurted, slipping his charcoal pencil back into his journal. Astrid almost punched him, her eyebrows raising in shock. Her right hand instinctively balled into a fist, which she barely managed to refrain from making impact with his cheek. _Whenever Heather's ready?! What kind of stupid reply is that?! She doesn't OWN him! _her mind shouted as she willed herself to take steady, even breaths. "Well, right now would be perfect." Heather chirped, her eyes locking with Hiccup's. Astrid scowled, huffing. "He can't. We have lessons to teach today." Heather pouted. "Oh, that's terrible. I was really hoping you could..." Hiccup was biting his lip, eyeing the other dragon riders. Astrid gave him a look. He couldn't really be thinking about this, could he? Was he?!

"One day couldn't hurt, could it?" He sighed. Heather squealed, wrapping her arms around his neck and practically jumping into his lap. "Oh, thank you! Thank you!" Hiccup laughed, his hands rubbing her back as they embraced. "It's fine, no big deal." "No big deal?! Hiccup, we have lessons today! You can't just skip out on us!" Hiccup let go of Heather, turning to frown at Astrid. "Nothing will happen. You've always wanted to try leading a class, now's your chance." She fumed at him, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. "Hiccup. You're a chief. You can't just run off with some...foreigner that you barely even know." Heather glared at her. "Hiccup and I are wonderful friends, Astrid. I know many things about him, much of which I've acquired from the letters we've exchanged." Astrid's jaw dropped. "You've been writing LETTERS to her? What the Hel, Hiccup?!" Astrid cried, watching as he flinched as her voice rose. "Astrid, we're just friends-" "Are you sure about that? Remember when she kissed you? Yeah, right before she stole the book of dragons and almost had all of us killed!" She interrupted, pointing at Heather. People were looking now, she could feel their eyes burning into her back, but she didn't care. "I'm sick of this. I'm sick of you always being... I can't believe you. She's not our friend, Hiccup. She's a traitor. She betrayed us!" Hiccup shook his head, sighing and grabbing Heather's hand. They made their way to the exit, leaving Astrid behind as she stared after them. "Hiccup! Where are you going?" He didn't answer but just kept walking. Astrid could only watch as they climbed onto Toothless and took to the skies. _What is going on here?!_


End file.
